Scope and Limitation
by practical cynicism
Summary: The exact explanation as to how two obstinate people ended up—and remained—a couple. AtoRyo.


**Title: **Scope and Limitation

**Author: **Dimantrien / kanzenrei

**Genre: **General

**Rating: **PG-13

**Pairing: **AtoRyo

**Summary: **The exact explanation as to how two obstinate people ended up—and remained—a couple.

**AN – **I got frustrated with writing a research paper and ended up doing this instead, hence the title XP

People always wondered why we got together. Even more of them wonder why we _stayed_. They seem to think that the two of us, on our own, are too stubborn to have our own way that our being in a relationship was just a disaster waiting to happen.

I suppose I can't really blame them. Keigo, that spoiled, filthy-rich Monkey King, is too accustomed to having things precisely the way _he_ wants it, that it starts to become a real problem when my sentiments are the polar opposite of his, especially because I'm no pushover myself. We always fight over the most trivial things (like where to eat on dates—honestly, one of these days I really am going to shove a whole double cheeseburger down his throat once he starts up again about eating _peasant food_), and, occasionally, serious ones (which—as opposed to what _I_ think—he thinks is hilarious. I still resent the fact that he never lets _me_ be on top every once in a while, and the fact that he has the annoying habit of bursting out laughing every time I bring it up is no help, either).

Come to think of it…we spend more time arguing than talking like normal, civilized people. Normal, civilized _couples,_ for that matter.

Still, the time we spend fighting pales in comparison to the time we spend making out, so that cancels out everything else. Although I don't think that giving more time for kissing (among other things smirk) rather than talking defines a healthy relationship.

…..Wait a minute. What the hell am I talking about? The two of us have stuck together for this long. If that's not a healthy relationship, then I don't know what is.

Anyway…getting back. Why _are_ we still together, you ask?

The answer is simple, really. It all boils down to scope and limitation. Certain terms and conditions that both of us have compromised beforehand in order for the two of us to stay sane around each other.

Our relationship covers a lot of things. To sum it all up, our time together is spent on playing tennis, making out, eating at restaurants with skyrocketing food prices, making out, arguing about everything we can think of, making out, lazing around in the enormous palace he calls his house, making out…you get the picture?

Of course, it's not all just fun and sex that we're after. If it were, we would've been bored to death ages before now. I guess the factor that really keeps our relationship alive is all the time we spend bickering and debating with each other. Our mutual habit of refusing to back down from our own stands is an everyday challenge for us, giving us a reason to continue seeing each other just to see who will win each time. We easily get bored, the two of us. Keigo already has anything and everything there is to own, and he discards them as easily as playing cards in a casino, and repeats the process with the next toy, and the next. He simply can't accept the fact that I don't follow his every whim with just a snap of his fingers. It annoys him to hell—and well I know it. That's why he doesn't loosen his grip on me. You know how people always want the things they can't have? It's sort of like that. He demands complete obedience from practically everyone—his personal servants, his teammates, and even his lover. I refuse to give him that—I'm not a complete blockhead like that Kabaji guy—and that's the reason he would never trade me for someone else.

He's twisted that way.

Me? I admit, the only flaw that Keigo has is the fact that he's too perfect. He's rich, smart, good-looking, respected by everyone, influential, and can probably get anything he wants with that sex appeal of his. It gets a little irritating sometimes—I swear he loves himself more than me—but it gives me little to complain about. There isn't anybody like him at all in the Seigaku team—he's definitely more interesting than Buchou, not as sadistic as Fuji-senpai, less fussy than Oishi-senpai (towards others, I mean…fussing about himself is a matter unto itself), not a schizo like Kawamura-senpai, not as scary-looking as Kaidoh-senpai, not as creepy as Inui-senpai, and not as annoyingly affectionate as Momo-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai (I'll encounter death by glomp, one of these days). In other words, perfect. But didn't we already establish that?

Perfection has its disadvantages, though. It has the dangerous tendency of making people infallibly narcissistic. And this is where the limitations begin.

I can only take so much of Keigo's endless commentaries about his glowing qualities. He's full of himself—literally. He particularly likes to talk about how he maintains his good looks; he's recounted his trips to the beauty parlor so many times, I've lost count. And I can practically deem myself a hair-care expert after repeatedly listening to him ramble about every single expensive shampoo and conditioner brand he patronizes to keep his tresses silky and soft. Not to mention facial wash, moisturizer, exfoliant, and every other goddamn commercial product that can be found in a _girl's_ bathroom, that he diligently applies on his person every single _day_.

He's the only person I know who can turn the word "metrosexuality" into an art form.

Nevertheless… I can still forgive him when he's late for a date because he had an _absolutely imperative_ hot oil treatment to go to, or whatever… I can put up with his inexhaustible stock of self-praising tales as well—I suppose he can't help having an ego the size of China, and an articulate mouth to go with it. I can tolerate all that about him…but the one thing I never, _ever_ want to do again in my whole life is to let him drag me to go shopping with him.

If there's one thing I hate, it's shopping. I have no idea how girls can possibly enjoy running around malls for a whole day just to look at (and squeal over) clothes and makeup and all the other things they waste their money on, but apparently Keigo thinks on the same wavelength as them. I understand that he's got more than enough money to burn, but does that mean that he has to use it to fill up a wardrobe whose contents are roughly enough to clothe all the people in a small country? Sure, he looks good in practically _everything_ (I said so every single time he changed outfits and asked me how he looked, if only to get him to buy the damned things already so we could go home), but he just _has_ to try out every single stylish article of clothing in his favorite shops before he can be satisfied. It amazes me how he can stand for hours at a time, just preening himself in front of a full-length mirror.

If there's anything worse than being lugged all over a shopping center by Keigo, it's being forced to try out all sorts of stuff _myself_. I damn well don't care if he sells out the whole mall by buying everything for himself, but when he drags _me_ into the equation…that's not just toeing over the line anymore, it's tripping over it and onto the other side. He's worse than my own mother when he orders me to try out every little thing he handpicked from the clothes racks. I don't see the point when he buys me clothes. He orders me to put them on before leaving the mall, then as soon as we get to his house he takes them all off anyway.

And another thing that peeves me is that Kabaji guy. It's like when I agreed to go out with Keigo, he was part of the whole package. It's not so much his presence that irritates me—just a snap of Keigo's fingers and he'll make his whole hulking mass disappear from before us—it's everything he _does_ that only serves to pump up Keigo's already over-inflated ego even more. Quite a feat for someone whose vocabulary only consists of one word, "Usu," but still, it really bugs me. If he just stood up to Keigo even _once_…then maybe Keigo wouldn't be as self-centered as he is. Meaning I wouldn't have to put up with him singing self-praises all the time.

I guess that's all I can possibly complain about…for now. You never know, Monkey King might discover some new way to show off his apparent perfection even more, one of these days.

I'm sure he has a lot of pet peeves about me as well…like how I have the ability to abstain from having sex with him when he starts to really piss me off. That's the one thing I have power over him, withholding the one thing that he wants more than anything else. Heh. Keigo can be downright nasty when he's sexually frustrated, and sometimes it's fun to watch him suffer and see what he'd do… But that's a story for another day.

"Oi, gaki. What are you thinking so deeply about, this early in the morning?" a familiar voice drawled at me, luring me away from my thoughts.

I pulled my eyes away from the ceiling and blinked at him. He was still asleep a while ago. "…..nothing." I checked the clock on his bedside table. "You're not supposed to wake up until a couple more hours." I yawned and roll over, turning my back to him.

Keigo smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Why don't we do something to make those two hours more interesting, aa?" he purred into my ear. His hand dipped lower, and I whirled around and faced him with a reprimanding glare.

"Tch, how can you act like such a pervert, this early in the morning?" I mocked. But he didn't move his hand away—it actually progressed to full-on groping, and it was all I could do to keep from moaning out loud.

"Ore-sama can do whatever ore-sama wants to, whatever time of day it is," he answered lazily.

"Not if _I_ can help it," I retorted, yanking his wrist away. "Stupid Monkey King," I added under my breath.

Keigo rolled his eyes. "You know you want it. If you prefer trying to look like you're the one in control, then it's your loss."

I just stuck my tongue out at him. That one always hits home; he thinks that I look like an "adorable little kid" whenever I do that.

Sure enough, he smiled. "You are such a brat. Don't you know what day it is?"

I shrugged. "What, your monthly trip to the foot and body spa?" I replied in a bored tone.

Ooh, he didn't like that. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled me close enough for me to see the animalistic lust in his eyes. "Maybe a little force will help you remember, aa?" In one quick movement his mouth was on mine, his tongue forcibly parting my lips and sweeping over every crevice. His hands started wandering again, but I just lay still and waited for him to be sated.

"_Now_ do you remember?" he demanded after pulling away.

I smirked. "No…"

He growled and threw off the sheets, pushing himself up and moving so he was hovering over me. "You really are a stubborn brat…"

An hour later, we both lay completely exhausted, legs and arms tangled around each other.

"You didn't have to go all out… I don't think I'll be able to move around for a while," I panted, glaring at him.

Keigo only smirked. "If you can't get up, then we can just stay in bed all day," he said suggestively.

"No thanks," I replied with distaste. "I still want to be capable of sitting after this."

He laughed.

I cracked a smile. "Otanjoubi omedetou, Keigo."

"Good. If you really didn't remember, then I'd have to punish you more," he said with satisfaction, albeit a bit haughtily.

I rolled my eyes. "Then wouldn't you be happier if I _did_ forget?"

He laughed again, and I laughed with him.

I don't really care if other people constantly doubt the progression of our relationship. All I know is that there's more to it than griping, and having sex, and scope and limitation. There's something more…and as long as that something is there, then we won't be parting ways anytime soon.

**Owari**


End file.
